


Sordamente

by kuusewa



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Orchestra, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 17:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2741780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuusewa/pseuds/kuusewa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Armin, a sophomore, and Jean, a junior, play violin for their high school orchestra. Armin's not the best in orchestra. But he enjoys playing the best he can even though he's not as advanced as his two friends, Eren and Mikasa, or his crush, Jean, which sometimes gets him down. It doesn't help his self-confidence when one day he hears that Jean usually dislikes bad orchestra players. Armin forces himself to start practicing more to try to get Jean's attention. But it isn't Armin's improvement that Jean notices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sordamente

Armin first saw Jean during his freshman year during the first orchestra sectional, when each section of the orchestra splits up and practices their parts with a director in different rooms in the music hall. In the middle of the violin II practice in the main room, Jean, a first violinist, barged in and searched in his shelf for his shoulder rest. The director scolded him for interrupting and being late for his section's practice. Something about his nervous laughing made Armin smile. 

Due to the school's scheduling problems in the summer before Armin's sophomore year, Jean, who was supposed to be in a symphony II orchestra class, ended up in Armin's string I orchestra class. Even though Armin never spoke to Jean and knows that he probably will never notice him, Armin got embarrassed that Jean would know early on that Armin failed to make it in the symphony during the seating auditions. He was one of the few sophomores who had to play along with the freshmen during the concerts. But at the same time, it meant that there would be a higher chance of Jean finally speaking to him. 

But September flew by. Not that they could really converse as Jean often slept in the middle of practice and get scolded again a few times from Mr. Smith during and after class. 

In October, the orchestra goes to an annual local haunted hayride. The choir also goes and after two hours of searching, Jean was no where to be seen. He didn't go the previous year either. 

There was nothing special in November that could possibly let Armin approach the boy without it happening in the middle of class. And even by then, everyone had already established their cliques. Jean ended up spending more time with the other two symphony players that also had scheduling problems over the summer. Armin's close friends, Eren and Mikasa, were also in symphony so he often made it through small talk with his stand partner and the other sophomores that didn't make it to symphony.

By December, Armin figured he should give up. God, he has spoken to every mutual friend he had with Jean in orchestra and still hadn't had that moment to approach him. In the first week, during lunch, he was talking to Marco, a rather close friend of Jean that happened to be the band ensemble instead of orchestra. 

"Who do you sit with?" Armin asked, wondering. Marco laughed nervously a little. Armin knew the laugh. "Don't worry. I'm sitting with Eren." 

"Oh! I'm sorry, Armin. I would let you sit with us but you know Jean? He mostly talks about how the string orchestra players kinda," Marco pauses, "sucks and believe they don't take it seriously. I don't think you should hear what he has to say." 

Armin grimaced at him. "Oh. You sit with Je-?" 

He couldn't finish the sentence as Jean walked towards the table, glanced at Armin, attempted to smile just a little but failed to make it look genuine, and walked to the lunch line to get food. Marco apologized again before Armin accepted it and left with a 'see you later'. 

Armin was upset. Not entirely angry. Not entirely sad, Not entirely anxious. He regrets not practicing hard enough to make it to symphony orchestra to make a better impression. 

He snapped himself out of it and told himself that he practiced a damn good amount of time last year and he did a damn good job at achieving his personal goal of making it to sit in the fourth row of the second violin section. Forget what a guy who he hasn't talked to has to think. Armin's different from what Jean thinks. 

But Armin found himself finding himself practicing three to four hours a week rather than the recommended minimum of two hours a week. In orchestra, Mr.Smith likes doing a round of one person sharing a music stand playing a part while the other sings the same part. In a matter of a week and a half, Armin improved some of the harder parts of the pieces and Mr.Smith compliments him on that as he is playing more confidently. But Jean was either sleeping or talking with other players. Armin couldn't help but check to see some times.

However, at the same time, he noticed how he gradually checked lesser and lesser. By the night of the winter concert, he really convinced the most of himself that he didn't have time to care. A small part of him still wondered a few times if Jean ever noticed his improvements. It was uncertain as Mr.Smith started to practice by having the whole class play the whole pieces without stopping and making everyone repeat parts until they got them right. They didn't have the time to watch one another. 

On the night of the winter concert, Armin arrived at the school in his orchestra tuxedo. Eren and Mikasa were already there to greet him. As expected, the first years were easy to spot as they looked more tidy and prepared while everyone else looked tired and casual, except Eren. Mrs.Yeager had always made sure Eren's clothes were carefully ironed and rolled with the lint roller. But unlike last year, his hair wasn't gelled back. Mikasa made an attempt to wear nice earrings and a gold colored necklace. 

Jean came into the room with a slightly crooked tie. He sat down and started playing on his phone. Armin stared for a little over five seconds before Eren calls him. 

"Are you friends with Jean?" 

Armin laughed a little. "Never spoke to him." 

"Good. Be careful if you ever start speaking to him. All he's gonna do let you do-"

"Eren," Mikasa said firmly. Eren frowned and Armin smiled a little.

"It's fine. We don't have much in common anyway." 

 Mr.Smith grabbed the marching band director's loud speaker and called for all string orchestra players to come on to stage to perform their piece first. Mikasa and Eren wished Armin good luck as he walked off. 

He forgot to see if Jean was watching. 

Performing the simple Fantasy on an English Carol confidently made Armin feel like he could rule the world and he wished to explore and challenge himself more. But that could only happen after sophomore year, for seating assignments are permanent for the year after the first quarter of the school year. He was sure to make it to symphony next September. 

The symphony orchestra performed before the all of the players combined together. 

When the concert ended and the parents were crowding the hallway, the players went into the band room to pack their instruments to leave. Funny how everyone is more energetic after the performance rather than before. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stood by the corner, talking about the music, waiting for the crowd to clear up before joining their parents. 

The day after was a half school day and each class only had twenty minutes to occur so Mr.Smith used his period as a free class. Over half of the class were already on vacation and could not make it to school. But Jean and Armin were present but all Armin could focus on was figuring out how to finish all of his over break homework and projects during the holiday weekend, when his household family is visiting a bunch of families' and friends' homes. Jean played piano to pass time as he always did before taking out his violin. But without class, he just played random tunes, most of them quite upbeat and rather jazzy. 

Just when there was five minutes before the class ended, Armin packed his bag and waited by the door to be dismissed by the bell. 

With two minutes left, Armin heard his name being called. And it was from a voice he never thought would say it. Jean played a few keys to finish whatever he was playing. 

"You forgot your jacket," he told. The coat was under the table in the back where Armin was at. The bell rang and he went to grab it. Looking back, Jean was waiting by the door. 

"Thank you." 

Armin expected him to say "You're welcome" and walk off and forget about it forever and forget him after the winter break and never speak to him again. 

"So what are you doing over the week-long break?" 

"The day after tomorrow, my family are inviting some family friends for dinner before going on a little road trip to visit some family around the state area." 

"Visiting any landmarks?" 

Armin peered up at him, forming a grin. "Yeah.'

They walked to Armin's class and Jean was late for his, which was across the school. Being it intentional or unintentional, Armin never found out.

**Author's Note:**

> You could consider this a little side story for my main RivaEre fic, Son Filé.   
> I've always wanted to do an Jearmin fic but I never knew what kind of plot so I guess this could work. Hope you liked it~!


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